har simar simar naanak rang raataa man kee chint mitaa-ay. ||1||
Meditating, meditating in remembrance on the Lord, Nanak is imbued with His Love; his mind's anxieties are dispelled. ||1||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
In plain words
The wide sea of fear — I crossed it, simply by keeping the Name in mind.
Holding the One close is the boat; meeting the Teacher, I was carried over. Through the Word I cross and come to rest, the endless coming-and-going stilled.
Whatever the One does, I take as good — and my mind settles into peace. No pain, no hunger, no illness can weigh me down in the shelter of the ocean of peace; keeping the One in mind, soaked in love, my worries dissolve.
Trusting the flow of what is, and keeping the One in mind, dissolves worry.
The deeper layer
This verse says the scary sea of fear can be crossed, and trust is what carries us over.
Bhai saagar tari-aa: I crossed the bhai saagar, the ocean of fear, by remembering the One. The Guru's Word is the boat.
Jo kichh karai so-ee bhal maan-o: whatever the One does, I take as good. This is trust in the Hukam, the One's order, the way all of life flows. That trust is where peace comes from.
Trust does not mean sitting still when something is wrong. Think of a soccer player. She can't control the weather or the ref. So she lets those go and plays hard with what she can control. Trust what you cannot change, and speak up and act where you can.
Man kee chint mitaa-ay: the worry in the mind melts away.
A Question to Sit With
What is a worry that got smaller once you trusted things would work out?
